United Workers Party {UWP} leader Allen Chastanet has taken another hit in the courts as the High Court dismissed an application for an injunction to stop operations of the St. Lucia Citizen by Investment Programme {CIP}.
The 30-page judgement delivered by Justice Kimberly Cenac-Phulgence Thursday denied the interlocutory injunction against Ernest Hilaire and the CIP citing lack of concrete evidence of maladministration, fraud or illegality in the CIP programme.
Justice Cenac-Phulgence’s judgment outlines that Chastanet’s claim failed to establish a serious issue to be tried and that the evidence provided was based on developments in other jurisdictions.
“An injunction to restrain the defendants from granting citizenship to persons where the full investment sum has not been paid is superfluous as the Act already makes this a requirement,” Justice Cenac-Fulgence stated in her judgement.
The ruling went on to clarify that the injunction was unnecessary because existing legislation already requires full payment of investments before citizenship is granted.
The Court has ordered the UWP and Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet to pay costs to both Dr. Hilaire and the CIP Board, to be agreed upon within 21 days or assessed by the Court if no agreement can be reached.
The substantive claim filed by Chastanet on February 20, 2025, will now proceed to its first hearing on January 26, 2026, where the court will consider the full merits of the case.
The Micoud South Parliamentary Representative was last week handed a disappointment in a decision by the Caribbean Court of Justice {CCJ} in the “Rovergate” scandal. In that case, Chastanet contested the Customs Comptroller’s authority to drop the case that challenged issues surrounding the Hilaire’s importation of Land Rover Discovery following his tenure at the British High Commission.
Recently, Hilaire was charged with assault in an alleged situation that took place at Parliament Building involving a female, Eldrise Charles, reportedly known to be actively involved with the UWP. Charles, who was in the building at the time, alleges that Hilaire pushed here out of the building. Hilaire has subsequently met with the police on the matter.
Commenting on the cases brought against him, Hilaire called a continuing “witch hunt” that may not end in a hurry.